Another ship hijacked by pirates from international waters

The Israel Defense Forces on Thursday confirmed that the Israel Navy has taken control of a Lebanese ship carrying aid to Gaza, and has redirected it to the Israeli port of Ashdod.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the navy seized control of the ship, which had ignored an Israeli attempt to direct it to Egypt and made a break for the Gaza coast.

Speaking in Tel Aviv, Barak said that the navy "prevented the ship from entering Gaza waters. The ship was directed to Al-Arish in Egypt, but the crew decided to turn and try again to reach Gaza." He said that "the navy stopped the ship, and it was being transported to Ashdod port."
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On board the vessel, dubbed the "Brotherhood Ship," were nine people, including the former Greek-Catholic archbishop of Jerusalem, Monsignor Hilarion Capucci, said the organizer of the Lebanese delivery, Maan Bashour.

Earlier, an Al-Jazeera correspondent on the ship said that Israeli forces had assaulted those on board.

"They [the navy] are opening fire towards the vessel ... there are Israeli soldiers who have actually boarded the vessel," said Salam Khoder.

"Three of them are pointing their weapons at us ... They are beating those on the vessel, they are beating and kicking us," Khoder said in a frantic voice before the telephone interview was terminated.

Al-Jazeera said attempts to re-establish contact with Khoder had failed. It did not say how many people were on board the boat.

Bashour told reporters that the IDF had opened fire on the boat close to the Gaza shore. "The Brotherhood Ship was fired on by an Israeli military boat 32 kilometers off the coast of Gaza and they were asked to divert course," he said. The ship remained in the water near the coast of Gaza, he added.

Bashour said the ship was loaded with 50 tons of medical supplies, food, clothing and toys and left the port city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon early Tuesday.

The delivery was organized by the Palestinian National Committee Against the Siege, in cooperation with the U.S.-based Free Gaza Movement.

Bashour called on Israel to take responsibility for the lives of the ship's passengers.